I picked up a copy of Neil Cole's Organic Church at one Emergent Pittsburgh event along the way and it jumped out to me on my over-full bookshelf this week. So far, I'm really pleased with his non- ABC, 123 way of getting to the heart of living and sharing a life and faith in community as the body of Christ.
So many times, I feel we (as the church) become so introspective that we forget that Jesus called and challenged his disciples to ..."go into the whole world..." and not hide away in our respective sanctuary corners waiting for the world to come to us. So if we are claiming to be Jesus disciples, and his 'church' we should be more than ready and willing to be actively "going into" the world around us.
Here are some basic questions to get this conversation started in regards to who the church is and whom it really belongs to.
1. Ask yourself: "Who is Jesus to me?"
Your reply reflects your perspective, personality and characteristics that define your church.
" Church begins with Jesus: who He is and what He has done." (pg 6 Organic Church) If we can't answer this question, we can have all the resources in the world - but the 'church' will fail; because Jesus is original identity of the church. You can't have 'church' without knowing and following Jesus' example. Guess what kids: Jesus lived out his faith - in the world!
2. Is the church on defense or offense?
" Jesus said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against His church... Gates are not a threat; they're defensive, and the gates Jesus was talking about aren't the pearly ones - they're the gates of hell! The church is to be on offense, not defense." (pg. 11 Organic Church) When the church sits behind it's gate and watches the world while within its safety zone, it deprives the world of the light needed to saturate, illuminate and touch the darkest corners. We need to come out of hiding and meet God where he's already working and moving. We need to follow Jesus example and get out into the marketplace to shed some light.
3. The church, according to Jesus is to be:
Built by Jesus
Owned by Jesus
Meant to be growing
Will face opposition
and the church that Jesus builds will be unstoppable.
(Chapter 1 - Organic Church)
When I read the introduction to this book, there was a warning. The ideas expressed in it had the potential to change, challenge and cause the reader to see their calling as a part of Christ's church to shift. The reader needs to be prepared that the church should and will change lives, if the motive is to point to Jesus and encourage others to follow the uncharted territory of organic ministry.
The world is tired of the church trying to coerce people into becoming happy-clappy-just-like-us-already-at church clones. The world needs to witness a church more interested loving others more than themselves, including others in the journey towards God and participating in following Jesus in every day life - not just Sundays.
The church is to be a light in the darkness. Have you ever noticed how much light a tiny lightning bug can cast on a balmy summer night? We are to be salt. We are to be light. We need to be reminded that "It is much more fun to be a light in the darkness than to be light in the light."(Pg. 15 Organic Church)
Get your flashlights ready church - it's time we all went camping.
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